Slartibartfast

Or see how the Kings develop.

I agree Pedo's got him covered in some areas but Jake has him covered in others. Pedo can't get taller and ever ruck as well as Jake but Jake has a chance to improve in the areas Pedo is good at. Jake is quicker, he's got more aggression, he can ruck better and he can get involved around the ground as well as Pedo. He can't take a mark like Pedo and he can't kick as well. But it's not as clear cut as many think. Jake needs to take marks forward and demand an opposition tall.

If the Tigers want him we can now trade him. As an UFA we couldn't. We've got all the options now but I reckon Jake is backing himself to make it. Gotta love the man. He's a ripper.

Good back up first ruck option but to get into the seniors he has to start marking the ball around the ground and getting involved at stoppages. I don't think it's out of the question he can do this. Not many recognize how quick he is and he likes the physical stuff. His kicking looks awful but it's actually quite reliable now. One of our biggest issues as a team is no effective second ruckman. We lose so much when Max is out of the ruck and I think if Spence can stay involved around the ground they could play together. It would allow Gawn to play forward more where he is a genuine threat and it would mean we are genuinely competitive in the ruck especially when Spence is rucking against the oppositions second ruck. It might help Gawn to stay fresh and help his career in a number of ways. TBH I can't see it happening but there is a chance. Spence is a lot better than many give him credit for and having him with the club is a big positive.

I'm not sure whether you were totally serious but it's a great point. There was an article I read recently (perhaps Inside Football) that talked about the toll that getting on a plane every second week has on a players career. In the history of the WA teams there is only one 300 game player (Pav 0n 340) and he is 100 ahead of McPharlin, Sandilands, Mundy and others. Pav has visited the airport 152 times in his career to travel to games. For WCE Cox played 290 games and only three players have played more than McPharlin. The article concluded that playing for a WA club could cost up to 2 years on a career. Have MFC been smart in sending Hogan home from Brisbane and then he has to fly to Melbourne? It would certainly give him a taste of what he'd have to put up with every second week.

He's been exceptional but like Roos said of the coaching group last night on 360 it's the collective of the recruiting team not just one person. If a team is rebuilding as we've done it's not only critical to nail the early picks (which we've appeared to have done) it's critical to get very good players from later picks. It's early days yet but AVB, Harmes, Wagner and Hunt appear very likely to have meaningful careers and the group of ANB and OMac are looking good for the future. The two Kings and Hulett have also shown promise to date but we won't know about them for some time. The addition of meaningful players from later picks is critical and looking at Hawthorn they have Duryea, Sicily, Breust and Puopolo all making excellent contributions and all later picks or rookies. Teams like Richmond and Collingwood seem to be floundering because they just can't get meaningful players later in the draft. Of course the development coaches have a lot to do with this but Taylor and his group have given them some excellent talent to work with.

Most recognize this and I think those that don't won't. They either don't have the intellect or don't have the will. Either way it doesn't matter. You're bashing your head against a brick wall. I'd stop if I were you.

I'm not sure about you Nut but I've lived through the era where if there was one article about your club in the newspapers during the week (no internet) you'd be pretty happy. The amount of information about the club and the players is terrific now and if the odd bit of information is missing that's life. And injuries are an interesting thing. I think it was Crouch of Sydney who asked the club not to release his medical situation when he was sidelined for a while. But now it seems that if you're an AFL footballer your medical history is public knowledge and people are annoyed if it isn't available and accurate. Let the whingers whinge. If people get upset because estimates of injury time change let them get upset. There is no pleasing some.

Kennedy 2 goals?

A few reasons I guess: we don't argue about the good ones because everyone agrees. We argue about fringe players because that is where people differ. the performance of the team relies on 22 contributors each week. People rightly or wrongly believe the last few can make a defining difference. many like me feel a loyalty to those who went through the disaster that we were. I think players like Grimes and Garland have seen their careers curtailed or ruined as a result of our mismanagement and inept behaviour. Those players stayed loyal to us to their own detriment so the few that remain (like Garland and Grimes) deserve better than having posters vilify them and many, like me, would love to see them be part of our future success and reward them for their past support. I don't think I've seen anyone here get upset about someone saying (respectfully) Garland isn't up to it but I get upset when a vendetta using elevated language is run against him and when posters like jnrmac lie about the players performance to make them look bad and support the posters view. I know that we all crave team success and it's how we are measured but many admire the lesser lights and just want the best for them. You knew all that but I just felt like saying it.

On 360 last night they said the ump gave 17 frees to the Dogs and only one to Adelaide. I reckon the integrity department will investigate that. It might be coincidence but it smells off.

I've held the view for a while now that Roos was too cautious when he first came in and he is one of a long line of coaches that have had time off and found/are finding it hard to adjust to the way the game has played. Malthouse was a failure, Eade is really struggling although he's walked on a Chinaman's grave with the injuries the Suns have copped, Lyon is now being tested like never before and Roos made little on field headway in the first two years. In contrast Bolton, Richardson, Hinkley and Beverage have come in and made an immediate impact by implementing the whole game plan from day one. I was speaking to someone in the industry the other day who pointed out that while Roos was at Sydney he had Longmire and Lyon as assistants. Not a bad coaching team and he felt Sydney's success in the Roos era should be credited to that group rather than just Roos! But what seems to be undeniable is under Roos and Jackson we have put together a FD which is both effective and harmonious. I wonder what Jonesy, Garland and a few others think of that! As one of the youngest if not the youngest team in the competition we will be inconsistent winning games we probably wouldn't expect to win and losing some we shouldn't. But Jackson and Roos have given us 4 to 5 years minimum where the coach of MFC is a non issue. Collingwood, Suns, Freo and Richmond would kill for that at the moment. Well done MFC.

Like the three goals he gave away in the NAB Cup in the first quarter eh jnrmac? If you need the reference no problem.

We are also the youngest team in the competition and therefore most prone to changes in form and losing when we shouldn't. I'll let the season just pan out confident we are finally going to be a very good football team at some point in the future.

Thanks! Not much difference there.

Salem always goes when it is his turn and he always tackles when he has a chance. He doesn't avoid contact and will take a hit to put a team mate in a better position. He'll do me.

It would be interesting to see last years figures. My impression is the Doggies seem to get a pretty good go at it.

Yeh, the game's so much worse this year with the changes he's brought in. He's protected the head, he's stopped so many deliberate out of bounds, he's restricted the interchange and he's increased the protected zone. The last three rule changes have resulted in the best footy we've seen in years. It's a very difficult game to umpire. Has always been and will always be that way. Change the rules to make it easier to umpire and you risk ruining the game.

Let me help. You go early and you go hard. You get some wrong and you get some right (like all of us). In my own way I was just pointing out you don't get them all right and was a particular reference to your post about a double dose for Hunt. BTW, I'm eating a bit with Hunt too and a double dose with Wagner. It's a common dish around here (and in FD's I might add).

I think you're both right. I love his contested work, his work rate, his bravery, the fact he can "kick" and he's a good size. He does need to fix up those unforced errors. If he does he'll be fantastic.

Was that when you were eating your double dose of humble pie?

Kelly

More Darcy Moore for mine.

Ah ha. That might explain his form last week.

And I thought I was going mad. Vindication after about 51 hours.